February’s Birthstone is Amethyst
Check out
our Amethyst board on
Pinterest for more photos and
info!
These
earrings by Paula Crevoshay
feature
teardrop shaped dangles of
amethyst.
Amethyst
Quartz is found in abundance from every corner of the
earth. In its purest form, quartz is colorless, but is most
prized for its purple variety; amethyst. The color of this
gemstone ranges from pale lilac to a deep royal purple.
Purple has long been considered a royal color, so it is not
surprising that amethyst has been so much in demand
throughout history. Fine amethysts were favored by Egyptian
royalty, are featured in the British Crown Jewels, and were
a favorite of Catherine the Great.
The name Amethyst comes from Greek "Amethustos", meaning
“not drunken”. Ancient Greeks and Romans wore amethyst and
made drinking vessels of it in the belief that it would
prevent intoxication. Medieval European soldiers wore
amethyst amulets as protection in battle – the reason for
this being that amethysts are believed to heal people and
keep them cool-headed. Beads of amethyst were found in
Anglo-Saxon graves in England.
Amethyst is the traditional birthstone for the month of
February. It is available in small and large sizes,
although as with all gemstones, very large sizes in rich,
deep colors have always been rare. Designers celebrate
amethyst as the ideal choice for jewelry because of its
regal color, variety of sizes and shapes, affordability and
wide tonal range from light to dark purple. Brazil is the
primary source of amethyst, and Zambia is a significant
source as well.
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In addition to
the above information from the AGTA and other sources, you
can find facts about these of gems and more at the
"Gems
and Gem Materials"
online course,
through the University of California-Berkeley's Department
of Earth and Planetary Science. The website is available
for the general public, and contains a wealth of
information for the budding gemologist and anyone
interested in learning more about gemstones. Hanna
Cook-Wallace has contributed to this site, which was
developed by Jill Banfield while teaching at the University
of Wisconsin.